Martin Amidu rejected sitting allowances paid to him since 2018

It has emerged that the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu rejected all sitting allowances paid to him since he took the office in 2018.

The amount totals GHS 12,696.

A document sighted by Citi News indicates that the total amount was for sittings between December 2018 and May 2020.

On December 21, 2018 he was presented with a cheque of GHS 5,560 as August to December 2018 board allowances.

For four other board sitting allowances, he was paid GHS 1,440 each.

On May 21, 2020, he was paid GHS 1,376 for sitting in an entity tender committee meeting as allowance.

Citi News sources say Martin Amidu was of the view that the board meetings, most of which were in the board room of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, were during his working hours as Special Prosecutor hence didn’t see the need for special allowances for such meetings.

Martin Amidu had also rejected a cheque given to him for honouring an invitation to speak at an event organized by the Audit Service.

It is reported that efforts to get the Audit Service to take back their cheque proved futile until its expiration.

Martin Amidu on Monday November 16, 2020 resigned unexpectedly from office as the country’s Special Prosecutor.

Among other things, he cited interference by the government in his work although he is supposed to be independent and also the death of former President Jerry John Rawlings who to him, was a source of protection from the threats on his life after conducting a corruption risk assessment on the controversial Agyapa Mineral Royalties deal.

Martin Amidu’s decision has been received with mixed reactions with some accusing the president of having double standards on the fight against corruption.

Others have said the Special Prosecutor should have persisted and worked harder to prosecute corrupt officials.

source: Citi Newsroom